From the Homesteading Journal . . . Homemade Goat - Milk Lotion

....all within the last few days

 

 . . . Hubby and son rigged up the dog kennel for the meat chicks, and the layer chicks are outside now (we got the kennel for free, covered the top, and sides with chicken wire).  The barred rock layers are finally outside.

From the Gratitude Journal. . .

Today, I am thankful for:

~for the wonderful lilac aroma wafting throughout the outdoors (and which I brought indoors too).

~for God's guidance, and giving me the knowledge to know how to cut back on my stress with gardening by doing a little every day vs. all of it in one long day, and leaving the dirty dishes for the kids and looking the other way....giving me the strength to get up extra early to avoid the heat...giving me a bountiful garden...

~for the colors that are reappearing on the front porch.  

~for the spearmint in my garden and iced tea made with it.

~for the pounds I'll lose this summer with all this garden/yard work to do.

~for our dogs, who alerted us of a group of people on the highway (at 2:30am), who had some sort of driving mishap.  

~for Timmy, the barn cat who showed up on our porch a year or so ago.  And who always makes me smile.  He plops wherever he wants, as if he has had the most grusome work day and is needing a nap.

~for the water in our well.  I've drained the rain barrel, and have been watering the garden, due to the lack of rain here.  Thankful for that rain barrel too.

~for my hubby being home today, and giving me a hand with garden work/yard work today, and for getting my breakfast. 

 

Random Writing

5 Random Things

1. I Got "Notered" 

My 11 year-old often leaves me notes that are special.   We call it getting "notered." She left me this one recently, in my inbox:

"i love you mommy. anyway, you should take the day off and go return your shirt,wear it with your new skirt  and wear some new mother's day jewelry, the ones i bought you. by the way... I Love You!

and just so you dont forget about me... i throw it on thee grownd!!!"

It made me laugh.  You see, when she went to camp, she told me how the "mailman" came to visit them and deliver letters we wrote.  Prior to camp, the teachers allowed us to write our kids letters, and they would be delivered.  Anyway, the mailman would come in and do a funny act while delivering the mail.  He'd throw it on the ground and say "I throw it on theeee groouuunnnnd!" enunciating it in a hilarious fashion.  When she got home from camp, she re-enacted it for days.  She'd run to the mailbox, and re-enact the "mailman" from camp each time.  And of course, it was funny.

2. With my new fitbit, I joined a community group, and pledged to try to loose 16 pounds by July 4th.

3.  My 13-year old is at an all weekend sleep over.  However, she's my "chick" keeper, so I now have "chick" duty (watering, feeding, and cleaning their boxes).  My goal is to get them outside next week.

4.  My allergies are in an uproar, due to farmer's out in their fields.  The dirt is flying, and my nose is finding it.  Thankfully, I stocked up on nettle tea.

5.  Sapphire has been sleeping in my herb garden.  The other day, when I leaned over to cut some chives, she stood up and scared the livin' poo out of me.  After my run-in with the raccoon, I am on edge every time I am outside.  She blended in with the dirt so well, I didn't even see her.  She was all cozied up between the chives and green onions.

Linking up with Nancy at:  A Rural Journal

Snapshots Gone Cynical ~ Having a "Martha" Day

I intended to take "happy" snapshots of my day, but as work proceeded, I became cynical.  Maybe I already was.  I spent the early hours planting a half-flat of purple salvias, watering everything from vegetable garden, to flower garden, herb garden and then pots.  I got more items out of the garden barn and so forth.  I had to drag about 300 feet of garden hose from one end of the property to the other.  I know it's good exercise, but blah, blah, blah.  This may be where my cynicism started. 

I continued to dig out flower pots and put them in the places, all ready for more planting.

Put another one up and filled it with soil and flower seeds, and had a few happy thoughts pop in my head (pretty flowers make me happy).

But then I looked at the one end of my herb garden - weeds.  They are all over the herb garden.

More weeds.  This time it's grass in the raised strawberry beds.  This is what happens when your Hubby tells your kids to blow the grass into the flower beds when they mow - "Blow it into the garden, it's great for it!"  Sure doesn't look "great" to me.

And the mower can't fit through all the raised beds, so I have to get out the trimmer and cut it all down that way.  

Martha isn't looking so well this season.  She needs a re-do.  She was barely standing up when I found her.  She was left out all winter.  Her clothes are tattered and sun bleached, her shirt is not tucked in, one sleeve is up and one is down, her wood is splitting, birds have pooped on her, her head is smooshed down, and her hat is looking worn out and torn up. 

Ever feel like you are having a "Martha" day?

Got Tea?

My kids (and I) love to drink tea and coffee both.  But lately, they have gotten funky with both.  Mom sent over some vanilla chocolate truffle teabags, and guess what my 16 year-old did?


She put that very same teabag into the coffee maker, along with the coffee grounds, and brewed it.  Not bad too.

I wonder what else they will come up with, now that most of my tea is restocked.

What would you call that anyway (brewing coffee with tea)? Coff-tea?  Tea-Fee?  Ha ha ha!  

Farm Logo and Other Farm Occurrences

Last night my son finished his drawing of our new farm logo.  It was a gift to me.  

Not Cool!

You won't see a photo of it either.  I'm scarred for life (as the kids tell me, with a hidden evil smile).

I was on the south side porch, drinking from my water bottle and taking a look downward at a smaller flower bed.  I had already done some front yard weeding and planting, and even planted vegetables in the vegetable garden.  I had been wondering where to start next (thinking to myself and not making any noise).  The small flower bed was pretty haggard looking.  So, I stood and contemplated.

To my left the bathroom juts out from the house, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see black fluff moving across the grass towards me.   It was within 8-10 feet of me.

I screwed my water cap back on, and was about to pet Aurora, when I stepped in that direction, and screamed.   It had walked directly toward me, and stopped at about 8 feet (or less) from me.

That black fluff was not Aurora our barn cat, but a very large raccoon, who by now was looking straight at me.  Of course, I screamed.  I never once have had a raccoon visit me in during the day time.  

Shaking like a crazed lunatic, I ran inside and yelled for my kids who were home.  My son ran out and it had already disappeared.  

And to think I was about to get down on my knees and weed within a few feet of that thing!
 
It may be hunkering down in a hole under the house.  Hubby probably laughed his rear off, while listening to the voice mail I left him.

I'm thinkin' we need to buy a trap.  Good thing my chickens were not out.  A sick raccoon is a dangerous raccoon.  Why else would it be out roaming during day light?  It was noon when it showed it's ugly face to me.

Not cool.  Not cool. 

I asked Hubby, "how am I supposed to plant today?"

"Take a ball bat with you."